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Monday, November 30, 2009

John Barrowman was a guest today on Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2. During the interview he discuses the future of Captain Jack in Doctor Who and confirms that Torchwood will be back for 13 episodes. Hear it in the player below.

After the rather dull Circus Of Doom, it's refreshing to hear Tom Baker wake up again and deliver a performance worthy of the Fourth Doctor. This latest installment of the Hornet's Nest series gets rather dark, horrific and incredibly goulish too. Not only that, but Tommy B uses the phrase "red hot slober"! What's not to like?

A Sting In The Tale does, however, have its lighter moments. Notably at the start were we hear The Doctor sing and reappropriate Good King Wenceslas - a moment that really does remind you that Tom Baker is not of this Earth. The actor delights in the script, relishing words like the aforementioned "slober" and "slavering" - the latter evoking Richard Burton's performance on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War Of The Worlds.

Baker positively drools his way through having a "hot toddy" with some nuns and one did wonder if the "sting" in this "tale" would be an erotic dalliance with one of the Sisters. Sadly, this was not to be. (Maybe for another adventure though, eh?) Instead his attentions are turned to mesmerising a pig. No, really...

As I said the story takes a beastly turn in the shape of a battle between the Sisters and the slavering, menacing dogs - a fight straight out of the pages of Lord of the Rings. It's incredibly well portrayed and extremely graphic in its description of the various contretants.

A Sting In The Tale comes to a clattering climax and leaves with a cliffhanger worthy of Doctor Who (thankfully, not long to wait 'til I hear the resolution). With Baker back in form, a top tale to boot and numerous references to the show - including Krynoids, Zygons, Kraal and even the Pescatons to name but however many that was - the penultimate episode sets up the finale in some style.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

The latest issue of the RADIO TIMES (a UK television listings magazine) has featured DOCTOR WHO on the cover again. Inside there's a three page exclusive feature, previewing The End Of Time. The article confirms the casting of BRIAN COX, TIMOTHY DALTON, JUNE WHITFIELD and CLAIRE BLOOM whilst we also learn that Wilf gets to enter the TARDIS in The End Of Time. Click on the pics for bigger versions.

The running times for THE END OF TIME have been released, along with their airdates in the UK. The End Of Time Part 1 has a running time of 59 minutes 42 seconds and will broadcast on Christmas Day whilst Part 2 (72 minutes 47 seconds) will be screened on New Year's Day. Click on the pic above for a bigger version.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Coming up soon is the first classic release of 2010 from 2|entertain - The PELADON TALES Boxset. This 3 Disc set includes the stories THE CURSE OF PELADON and THE MONSTER OF PELADON and will be available from 4th January 2010.

In an exclusive interview for BBC Radio 2, actor David Tennant talks to Doctor Who executive producer and show-runner Russell T Davies in a special programme broadcast just days before the Time Lord's latest regeneration.

Who On Who? marks the end of an era in the history of Doctor Who. In this programme Russell reveals whether he will write for the show in the future and his feelings about his successor on the series Steven Moffat. Russell also reveals the influences behind Doctor Who and why the success of the revamped series took the cast and creative team behind it by surprise.

He also reveals that he declined the BBC's original request for a series about a young Doctor studying at the Time Lord Academy. David Tennant also asks about Russell's plans for the future. They discuss why it's the right time for them both to leave the series and reveal that they made the decision to leave at roughly the same time.

"It just made sense and it's continued to make sense with hindsight," says Russell T Davies. "There's not been one moment where I've thought we've done the wrong thing."

David Tennant agrees: "It feels like we've had the right amount of time to tell a great story."

In a programme featuring clips from the last five years of one of the BBC's most successful dramas, the pair also consider how the television industry has changed in that time and the ever-changing nature of the Saturday night television schedule.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

RICHARD CURTIS has announced a piece of casting regarding his episode for Doctor Who next year. This news should be regarded as SPOILERISCIOUS, so you can click HERE to find who is playing who.... You have been warned!

Coming up on DVD from 2|entertain is Hamlet starring DAVID TENNANT. It's available from Jan 4, 2010 and it will also be broadcast on BBC Two, Dec 26. You can find promotional pictures of the production HERE. As always, click on the images for bigger, Tennantier versions.